PPlog

Next Meeting: Wednesday 27.11.2013 1pm Together, 12 Old Street London EC1V 9BE Everyone welcome. Since the last meeting we have learnt that we will not be receiving a grant from the Barham Trust for 2013/2014. This is because the Charities Aid Foundation (who supply the grant) required documentation, including an annual report, by 5.11.2013. Andrew Roberts was not in a position to prepare the documentation by then. Andrew has written to the Barham Trust expressing our appreciation of its generous support for the Survivors History Group in the past and apologising for not being able to provide the necessary papers. The financial position of the Survivors History Group still looks healthy. Andrew hopes to provide up to date information by the next meeting. We appear to have sufficient resources to see ourselves through to August 2015 (when Andrew will be retiring from the group) and plenty of time to plan the future of the group up to and beyond that point. Also since...

In July of this year, I made a complaint to the South Norfolk CCG that they had a "prospectus" for 2013/14 with no mention of mental health, let alone a mention of 'parity of esteem between mental health and physical health." I didn't get an acknowledgement but after several promptings and a threat to take the issue to the Ombudsman, I finally received a letter of response at the end of last month (October). That response, although mentioning several strands of mental health, was not satisfactory as it said nothing about 'parity of esteem.' As it happened however, There was a SNCCG board meeting on 5th November, so I went. I was surprised how positive this meeting was with the board showing tacit resistance to competition for commissioned services. Mental subject of health services was talked about but only in terms of the two elements in their 2013 - on strategy, IAPT (Increased access to psychological therapy) and dementia. In addition, when I ch...